Taliban says talks with the US enter fourth day in Qatar

AFP  |  Kabul 

Negotiations between the and US officials in entered a fourth straight day Thursday, according to the insurgents, as the two sides pursue a potential deal to bring an end to Afghanistan's 17-year conflict.

"We will talk in detail later when we reach agreement," the added.

has been stepping up efforts for a peace deal that could pave the way for the Taliban's participation in the next government.

"Both sides are discussing the various aspects of the US troops' withdrawal," a senior based in an unknown location in told AFP, adding that a statement could be released later in the day or on Friday.

The foreign ministry also confirmed that talks were ongoing between the two sides. However there was no immediate comment from the or NATO in

The US said Tuesday it had resumed talks with the insurgents in Qatar, where was meeting Taliban representatives.

Rahimullah Yusufzai, an expert on the Taliban, said the continuation of the talks represented "unprecedented" progress. "I have never seen anything like this before," he said.

"This is the first serious effort. And it has continued since July... they have agreed to disagree and continued to meet. That's why it's unprecedented." Talks have primarily focused on three major points: the withdrawal of US troops, a vow to prevent Afghan soil from being a base for attacks on other countries, and a potential ceasefire, according to Yusufzai.

wants the insurgents to enter talks with the Afghan government, but they have long refused, denouncing as a US puppet.

The talks come after Khalilzad spent the weekend in where he met with as part of a regional tour that saw the shuttling between India, and

The US is not the only country engaged in talks with the militants.

and have held meetings with the Taliban in recent months, while has also made overtures. Saudi Arabia, the and Pakistan are all participating in the US efforts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, January 24 2019. 15:20 IST